National Anti-TB Drug Resistance Survey

The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has initiated a national anti-tuberculosis drug resistance survey in a representative sample of 5214 patients consisting of newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB cases and previously treated sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB cases. The nationwide drug resistance survey (DRS) will provide RNTCP with a better estimate on the burden of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in the community. This survey will be the first national level survey for TB drug resistance in India. As part of the survey, the samples will be subjected to susceptibility testing for 13 anti-TB drugs (5 first line drugs and 8 second line drugs).